Helene takes a job at a call center but deceives her father into thinking she's completed law school, passed the bar, and is now a lawyer. In a series of flashbacks we see young Helene's attempts to fix her parents' failing marriage.
Helene reconnects with Malden, one of her charges from the Children's Center. She also pursues Oskar, hoping that taking cello lessons from him will lead to a relationship. In flashbacks young Helene searches for the reasons her parents broke up.
Helene loses her job at the call center. She borrows money from 7yr old Madlen to take Oskar on a trip. In flashbacks we see young Helene moving in with her divorced mom and her mom's new man.